Electric cars: Worth spying for?

There was a mystery in the pages of the New York Times this weekend. The front section’s table of contents promised, on page 6, the tale of three Renault execs who were fired last week for corporate espionage. On page 6, more intrigue: The article wasn’t there! It was, however, on the internet, offering a shadowy account of the company’s suspension of three highly placed employees who disclosed top-secret information about the company’s plans for all-electric vehicles.

The Nissan Leaf (photo courtesy Nissan)

The stakes are high: The French automaker, now partnered with Nissan, is betting its future on the popularity of the electric vehicle. It plans to introduce no fewer than three electric cars in Europe this year: a sedan, a light commercial vehicle, and a city car.

Unless the espionage thwarts its plans, Renault’s gamble is probably a good one. Also last week, the judges of the Detroit auto show gave all their top awards to EVs and hybrids — proof, according the Guardian, that “analysts [are] bet[ting] on rising oil prices and wider acceptance of electric cars.” Nissan’s Leaf took second place to the Chevy Volt.

It’s unclear to whom the Renault execs disclosed the company’s EV plans, but suspects include China and competing automakers.